Sacred Heart Pioneers Close out Season with 15-7 Win over Delaware

FAIRFIELD, CT (April 26, 2007) - Sacred Heart senior Ricardo Vargas (Falls Church, VA) turned in 16 saves and kept Delaware off the scoreboard for a 30:53 span from the first to third quarter as the Pioneers wrapped up 2008 with an impressive 15-7 win over the Fightin' Blue Hens Saturday afternoon. The win gives the Pioneers their first winning season since 1999 as they post a 7-5 record on the year. The loss dropped Delaware to 9-6 overall and 3-3 in the Colonial Athletic Association.

The Blue Hens (9-6, 3-3 CAA) struck first as Vincent Giordano scored the first of his team-high three goals with 13:39 showing in the first quarter. From there it was all Pioneers (7-5, 2-4 CAA) as they rattled off nine-straight goals while keeping Delaware off the scoreboard until 12:46 in the third quarter. Eight different Pioneers scored on the 9-0 run as sophomore Stephen Gerhard (Centiennial, CO) got it started with an unassisted score at 12:52 of the first.

SHU closed out the first quarter with three more as freshman Tim Russo (Lindenhurst, NY) scored off a feed from sophomore Evan Morgan (Ashburn, VA) followed by unassisted goals from junior Nicholas Russo (Lindenhurst, NY) and junior Bobby Rushton (West Islip, NY). The second quarter was all Pioneers as Morgan opened the quarter with his 10th goal of the year off a feed from fellow sophomore Timmy Katz (Freeport, NY) at 12:35.

Sophomore Peter Ridge (Ellicot City, MD) followed at 8:24 off a feed from Morgan for a 6-1 lead. Katz notched his 21st of the year at 5:43 scoring off a pass from sophomore James Mohrman (Hicksville, NY) and Rushton closed out the first half scoring at 1:25 with his second of the day from fellow junior Bobby Karl (Clifton Park, NY). The Pioneers were out shot 26-20 in the first half but carried an 8-1 lead into the break.

Senior Tony Tanzi (Mahopac, NY) made it 9-1 out of the half with his 11th of the year from junior Dan Casicano (Syracuse, NY) just 1:26 into play. The Blue Hens finally ended their scoring draught at 12:46 of the third as Giordano deposited his second unassisted goal of the day. Katz answered at 8:52 with an unassisted marker before UD closed the quarter with two more to trail 10-4.

The Pioneers put the game away with three straight to start the fourth quarter to build a commanding 13-4 lead. Casciano scored at 10:48 man-up off a pass from Morgan, his third assist of the day. Casciano scored again just over a minute later from Russo and junior Nick Hautau (South Salem, NY) scored on a great individual effort at 8:48 for the nine-goal lead.

Delaware's Curtis Dickson's 44th goal of the year at 8:27 briefly stopped the SHU run but the Pioneers ended any doubt with goals by Morgan and Hautau, man-up, over the next five minutes to go up 15-5 to cruise home with the win. The Pioneers took 42 shots putting 28 on goal while the Blue Hens fired on cage 56 times but got only 23 through to Vargas.

Katz and Morgan led the way offensively with five points apiece, each with two goals and three assists. Casciano, Rushton and Hautau all scored twice in the win. Junior Zach Smith (Chittenden, VT) won 11-of-18 face-offs and had a team-best seven ground balls in the win.

Before the game the Pioneers honored their seven graduating seniors along with their parents in a brief ceremony. Captains Pat Healy (Towson, MD), Tanzi and Vargas along with John Benyei (West Hartford, CT), Brett McGlensey (West Chester, PA), Kevin Morgan (Smithtown, NY) and Chris Wolpert (Yorktown Heights, NY) played in their final game for Sacred Heart Saturday afternoon.